A Ukrainian aircraft built to carry people flew wounded soldier Yevgen about 30 kilometers in roughly 15 minutes, offering an aerial evacuation option where mines, attacks and surveillance make ground recovery dangerous, Agence France-Presse reported.
AFP said Yevgen had spent two days at a front-line position after a mine severed his foot. The agency withheld his surname for security reasons and described him as among the first Ukrainians evacuated by an aerial medical drone.
Skyfall, the Ukrainian manufacturer, calls the aircraft Stargate. AFP reported it had been used in three missions, can carry up to 150 kilograms and has a stated range of 30 kilometers. Each aircraft costs about $50,000, the agency reported.
Russian attack drones prompted the team to suspend one launch, and a second attempt was also abandoned. During the flight that proceeded, electronic jamming briefly cut pilot KVN’s link with the aircraft. Its onboard artificial intelligence maintained control until contact returned, AFP reported.
Yevgen rode in a pod attached to the drone, with a lid closed over him and a gun in his hands, according to footage described by AFP. The aircraft climbed to 100 meters as Ukrainian troops monitored the trip; supply and surveillance drones were also in the surrounding airspace.
A Skyfall representative told AFP the project began after a request from the commander of Ukraine’s CODE 9.2 assault brigade. Ukrainian units had used ground drones to retrieve wounded troops, but those vehicles travel at about 10 kilometers per hour and can struggle with rivers and minefields. A recovery trip may take several hours, the representative said, describing Stargate as a response to an operational need.
EconoTimes previously covered a 62-kilometer drone evacuation reported by Ukraine’s 92nd Brigade.
An unnamed Ukrainian army officer told AFP that more field use was needed to assess the system, while offering an encouraging initial view. Yevgen said he now contacts comrades who are afraid and tries to reassure them.
Skyfall aims to produce 1,000 Stargate drones per month by the end of 2026, AFP reported.
